Automobile-fender.



0. A. SEPPALA.

AUTOMOBILE FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED J ULY 2a, 1911.

1, 01 8,085 Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

HBHEBTS-SHEBT 1.

U TED snwm 1 OSCAR- A. SEPPALA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMOBILE-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd Feb, 20, 191.2 Application filed July 26, 1911. Serial No. 640,639. I I I a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Fenders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to improvements in fenders and hasfparticular reference to an improved form of fender particularly adapted for use upon motor vehicles.

The leading object of my invention is the provision of an improved device which may be readily secured to the frame of an automobile and which will be controlled by the movement of the bumper bar of the automo-' bile, whereby an object striking against said bar will cause my device to unfold and rovide a fender to prevent said object falling under the car orthe wheels. v.

The further object of my invention is the provision of an improved collapsible fender for automobiles which will be normally contained within a small box or casing but which when unfolded will provide a complete guard or fender to absolutely prevent a person or animal from being run over by the automobile.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an improved fender attachment of this type for automobiles which shall be so supportedas to be released either by contact of an object with the bumper bar of an the chauffeur.

automobile or may be manually released by Otherobjecti and advantages of my improved fender will be readily apparent by reference to th followlng description taken in connection with the accompanying draw- "ings, and it will be understood that I may automobile equipped with my improved fender showing the same in raised or folded position. Fig. Zrepresents a similar view showing my fender in unfolded oroperative position. Fig. 3 represents a front view of the automobile and attachment int-he position occupied by the parts in Fig.1.gF-ig. 4: represents a similar view to Fig. 3 showing the fender in lowered position. 5 represents a sectional view on the line 5'5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents a sectional view on the'line 66 of Fig; 2. Fig. 7 represents a bottom plan view of the ground engaging portion of the fender, Fig. 8 represents an enlargeddetailed view of the means for se+ curing the fender in raised position, and for releasing the fender, and-Fig. 9 represents a fragmentary sectional view on the line.

8-8 of Fig. 8. I 1

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body, of the automobile having secured thereto the springs 2 from which depends the front shaft or spindle 3 to which is piv-v oted the stub. axles 4 of the front wheels 5. Secured to the automobile adjacent the honnet thereof on each side is a cylinder 6 contaming a helical spring 7 while mounted inthe cylinder andbearing against the spring is a piston 8 having a piston rod 9 projecting forward from the cylinder 6, the rods 9 oneach side being connected by the'bumper bar 10 having curved ends projecting laterally beyond the-wheels 5.

Secured to' the machine beneath the cylinders 6 and extending transversely of the machine is the metal casing 11. for normally containing my fender, said casing being open on the under side to allow the parts to be readily forced upward or automaticasing. J ournaled in the ends of the said cally moved downward with respect tothe W casing is a shaft 12 on which are slidably mounted the collars-13 drawn toward each other by the springs 14 secured on the shaft, while pivoted to each of'the collars are the pair of inwardly bending levers 15 connected by a toggle joint 16. Pivotally secured to the said collars 13 and slightly spaced from the levers 15 are the lazy tong levers 17 having secured to their ends plates 18, a second set of levers 19 being also piv oted to the plates 18. It will thus be seen that the"contraction of the collars 13 caused levers 17 and '19 tocause the same ;to spread downward, the various levers being intermediately connected by pivot pins 20 in the usual manner.

The "ends of the levers 19and likewise the ends-of the toggle levers lfiare pivot-ed on the-lugs;21 ro1ecting-rearwardly from the; collarsfla22-w ich are slidably mounted upon the shafft 23, a casing 24 having its ends secured to'the ends ofthe said shaft. Springs 25 are'gzicoiled around the shaft 23 and have one end secured thereto and the other end secured tothe collars 22' to tend to turn the collars on the shaft 23 and also having some tendency to draw the collars '22 together. Said collars 22 have extending therefrom the cars '26 through which pass the pivots 27,

'while secured on the pivots 2? are the toggle N levers 28 and the lazy tong levers 29, said 20 latter levers being intermediatelyconnected bythe bolt 30, a washer 31 being interposed between thelevers to facilitate the ready turning thereof. Secured to the ends of 'the toggles 28 by the toggle joint 32 are the other toggle levers '33 aving their ends pivoted by the bolts 34 to the ears 35 of the i collars 36.= Said collars are mounted on the shaft 37 and springs 38 are coiled on .the

shaft and have one end secured to the shaft and the other to the collars to force the col-. lars toward each other. I

' Pivoted to the freeends of the lazy tong levers 29 are the plates 39 to which are also pivoted thezsecond lazy tong levers 40 intermcdia-felygplvoted to each other by the bolt 41 and having interposed therebetween A the washer 42; the other ends of the levers 40 being pivotally mounted on the pivot first been bentinward.

force the barsdownward. When. my .i;n-

pins 34, but being disposed on the opposite side of the ears 35 from that on which-the levers 33 are located. 3

It will thus be seen that the collars 22 and 361 normally move inward on the rods or shafts 23 and 37, and this movement causes the lazy tongs to elongate and force the two shafts apart, said movement continuing until the toggle levers 2 8 and 33 are straightened, when the locking of the toggle jolnts 32 prevents the forcing of the shafts 23 and 37 toward each-other until said 'joints have In the use-of my invention, I pivot to the casing24 the brace levers or bars 43, the

- other ends of the brace members 43 being rotatably mounted in the castings 44 which are secured to the front shaft. 3 of the-automobile and contain springs 45 tending t q-r.

vention is in normal or inoperative position the various-toggle and lazy tong levers are folded into the casings. 24 and l1, the bars 43 being provided with eyes 46 for enga ment by the hooks 47 jcarried'bythe bu k :the tog l y l n a an cylinders 6, said llooks holding the bars and thus the entire device in raised position.

The upper ends of the hook members project Iinto the.'cylinder 6, and when a person is struck by the bumper bar 10 the inward.

' movement of the piston rods 9 will cause the same to engage the inner ends of the hooks to swing them into releasing position, when the action of the various springs will move my fender into open position.

To allow the fender to move forward readily over the ground when opened-I preferably mount on the ends of theshafts 23 and 37 the rollers'or wheels 4,8, while to the automobile, I secure to the upperenda enable me to dropthe fender frOmJwithin of the hooks 47th: wires or flexible connee so tions 4L9 terminating-in the handle 50 dis osed atthedizsb. board, a all on the said; andle serving'to move the ooks to release the fender.

From the foregoing description taken in,

connection with the accompanying-drawings the construction and operation of my im--' proved fender attachment for automobiles will be readily understood and it. will be J seen that I have provide an attachment which can be readily secured to an autom'm bile and which while normally outof the wayto not interfere with the movement of the automobile "will automatically drop when the bumper bar strikes a person to pre:

vent the person from passing under the" Wheels or which may be manually operated to drop in this manner.

Iclaim:

1.'The combination with an automobile, of a fender therefor comprising a casing, and a back portion contamablewithin said casing, said portions including pring operated lazy tong levers for opening the fender.

' An automobile fender including a con taming casing, a shaft in the casing, a' pair ortion and ground engaging of collars loosely mounted on theshaft,

pairs o'fnollars causes the lazy tongs to stretch butfun'tilthei'r movement is limited the toggle levers serve to lock the lazy tdl j against moveto-hol'd-the fender div-1 tendeil posh automobile fender comprisin a backse'ction and a ground cnga ".ng section, each of said sections inclu ing spring pressed lazy tong levers foropening the same and toggle levers for locking the same the spring pressed lazy tong levers to open if,

in open position.

' 4. An automobile fender comprising a back section and a ground engaging section,

each of said sections including spring pressed lazytong levers for opening the same, toggle levers for locking the same in open position, and means for manually or automatically releasing the fender to allow the same.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, lIl the presence of twowitnesses.

OS GAR A. SEPPALA. 

